Film-moving mechanism



June 10, 1930. o. wlTrEl.

FILM MOVING MECHANISM Filed June 1d, 1925 'om Wim;

INVENToR, i Y Juani l ATTORNEYS.

El@ E Y Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED s'rATEs- PArl-:Nr oFFlcr.

orro WITTEL, oF ROCHESTER., NEW YORK, AssIGNoa 'ro Ens 'rm xonnxcourm,

OF ROCHESTER, lNEW YORK, .A` CORPORATION OF NEW YORK FILE-MOVING 'MEcHANIsM Application led June \1Q,.1925. Serial No. 38,2941.

This invention relates to motor driven motion picture apparatus and more particularly tor.

to means for equalizing the load on the mo- In such apparatus it is usual to advancethe film intermittently, and this causes `a slight but perceptible `variation in the load on the motor, due to the difference in the force re.

quired to movethe mechanism only, andthe mechanism and the'A film. In some types of camera, a when the art of the mechanism is also idle 1m is not moving causing a still greater vvariation in the load. While my invention is applicable to-suchia camera, I have -as great as the variation in force,

ment of the film.

shown'it applied to one in whichA the mechanical parts move continuously and the variation l in load is due to the film.

The principal object of my invention is to equalize this load and I attain thisobject by using at some point in the mechanism a spring which is capable of exerting a force about half and which tends 'to move themechanism to advance the lm. This spring istensioned by the mechanism when the lm is not being moved, and this requires a force substantially equal. to that exerted by the spring during the move- It follows that the load on the motor consists of a first substantially u niform .component required to keep the mechanism as a whole in motion, and a second smaller component exertedeither to tensionA the smallv spring or, assisted by the small spring, to move the film Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing in all of the figures of which the same reference characters designate the same parts:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an open camera emshown, thus affording access to the interior of :SP

the camera. Thefilm 2' is drawn from a supply reel3, over a sprocket 4 through a gate comprising curved members, 5 and 6, back over the sprocket 4, against which it is held possible path,`

byrollers 7, to take up reel 'Ihe gate member 6 1s heldin place bylugs 9 and 10, the

spring 11 having a latchmg engagement with the latter'. The compartment 12 contains'the usual shutter, objective and finder. 55 The film is advanced through the gate by claw 13 carried on the end of arm 14 pivoted by pin 15 to the rotating disc '16, and pivoted at 17 to a link 18 which is pivoted by pin 19 to the framework of the camera. A light spring 20 is coiled around pin A19. and one end 21- thereofv extends against the gate member 5,l while the other end'bears against pivot pin 17, which it tends to move to the position shown in Fig. 3. i

The mechanism is driven rom a spring motor '22 by gear train 23, the members of which are indicated by dot-dash circles.

.The optical axis of the camera is indicated at ,24 and the path of the claw at 26'.

The combined-starterv and brake 27 bears against disc 16 and is operated by handle 28.

It is normally drawn upwardly by spring 29.

The spring 20 is 'of insuiicient strength to move the mechanism and adds to the force of the main motor only about half the power Vnecessary to move the film past the gate. As

the arm 14'moves to the position shown in Fig. 2, it'tensions the spring and as it moves back the spring adds a slight force to that of the motor. v

In any mechanical structure of this type there is unavoidably present a certain amount of back lash, 10st motion, or lay. As a result there is a certain amount ci) unsteacliness due to slight variations in the strokeof the claw. The' film will not invariably stop at precisely the same point.

The presence of a spring such as 20, however, has, necessarily, the efect lof putting a constant pressure on the parts insurin their moving on 'each stroketo, one limit o their andv taking up any lost motion and insuring the stopping of .the claw and the film moved thereby' at precisely the same It is to be understood that the disclosure herein is by way of example and that my invention is applicable'to other types of motion picture apparatus, and to other types of energy storing instrumentalities. Such an instrumentality must have the power of transforming kinetic energy applied thereto into static energy which it is capable of retransforming into static energy. This property is best exemplified by elasticity, which is the property of a physical body, when displaced, distorted or compressed of tending to resume its original positon, shape or volume. I contemplate as Within my invention all such modifications and equivalents as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a motion picture apparatus having a frame and a motor carried thereby, mechanism driven by said motor and including an arm with a claw, a link pivoted to said arm and to said frame, and means to reciprocate said arm, whereby the claw is moved through a closed path, members forming a guideway for a film strip, a portion of said path intersection said guideway whereby the claw may engage and move a lm, and a spring between the frame and the link and adapted to oppose and be tensioned by the movement of the link when the claw is being moved along its path outside of said guideway, and adapted to assist in the movement of the link and the mechanism connected thereto, when the claw is in the lm engaging portion of its path, the force exerted by the spring alone being insuiicient to move thelilm- Signed at Rochester, New York, this 6th day of June, 1925.

OTTO WITTEL. 

